Pokémon Go “Unlikely to Roll out in China Anytime Soon”

Cosplayer dressed as a character of the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo participate in a "poketour" organized by the municipality in San Salvador, El Salvador July 23, 2016. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas

Pokémon Go may have invaded every major territory on the planet but it still has to enter the massive Chinese market.

Last year, The Pokémon Company exclaimed the hope of seeing Pokémon Go release in China. Those hopes look bleak at the moment as Reuters reports that Pokémon Go and other augmented reality games are “unlikely to be rolled out in China anytime soon”.

Severe concerns have been highlighted by key entities from the region, pertaining to information security and personal safety of Chinese citizens. China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television has decided to work with other branches of the country’s government to “evaluate the game’s risks”.

China’s Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association pretty much hammered the final nail in the coffin by calling the game a “threat to geographical information security and the threat to transport and the personal safety of consumers.” Collectively, it has been agreed upon that Pokémon Go cannot release in China without bringing hazardous incidents.

Since its release, Pokémon Go has been linked to accidents around the world. People have come across cars while hunting down critters, muggings have taken place on live streams as enthusiastic hunters chased on their favorite Pokémon; some of the incidents have proven fatal as well.

The game is already available in Japan but the country’s government released a stern warning to its citizens of the potential dangers involved. Speaking with Kotaku, an official spokesperson for Niantic Labs stated that the developer is currently “focused elsewhere” and will not respond to the Chinese evaluation of the augmented reality game.

Pokémon Go was the most-downloaded game on the iOS App Store last year. It released in July and instantly took everyone by storm. Shortly after its release, Pokémon Go registered millions in following and revenue streams. While the craze has died down a bit since then, the game remains highly popular on the online stores.